OSTEOPOROSIS - BUILD BONE, Proof of the old nagging

My doctor said the other day that if my feet weren't so bad, she'd prescribe vigorous exercise.  I reminded her that I climb stairs some days, that I want referral to the great physical therapy place I went to last year, and that sometimes my feet let me walk 25 minutes. But...that isn't 5 hours a week, even counting household chores. Besides, it's so cold out there that the wind on my face aggravates my rosacea.  I'd like some proof payoff before putting on mittens and venturing out even in Texas winter.  Then along comes the article from Mone Zaidi, MD, PHD and Mt. Sinai professor, working with researchers from Italy. How Might Physical Exercise Stimulate Bone Synthesis? One sentence hit me right between the eyes:  "Conversely, off-loading muscle, such as in astronauts, can lead to bone loss."   Good timing!  Just last week, I learned a new word Sarcopenia -- astronauts are not the only ones. Older people offload muscle, too!. .  Wikipedia calls it degenerative (a word I hate.)  Worse Wikipedia says we might lose as much as 1% skeletal muscle every year after 50.  So if I've lost 17%!!! Holy cow !  What to do? The doctor and some Italian researchers have found what I hope is a magic molecule: irisin. You guessed it:  Irisin is "released from muscle after exercise."    Giving mice low doses of iricin, the team found increase in muscle strength and strength of cortical bone. And the part I like to hear:  they aren't quitting with lab learning on what irisin does.  They suggest that treatment might be possible for osteoporosis and Sarcopenia. No more 90-pound weaklings?  I want to be one of the strong ones.  Gotta get up off the chair! I wish you health. The short, easy to read article is from Mt. Sinai Medicine Matters.  I just Googled Medicine Matters iricin